Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Surat

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $417 a month against $806 in Surat, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Surat
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Surat Living Index

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Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$417

/mo nomad

Surat

🇮🇳 India

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kolkata (Calcutta) and in Surat

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kolkata (Calcutta) and in Surat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $806 in Surat.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $417
Surat $806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $669 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $826 in Surat.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $669
Surat $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $922 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $847 in Surat.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $922
Surat $847

Living in Kolkata (Calcutta) costs roughly 48% less than in Surat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kolkata (Calcutta) 69% lower, Surat 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₹198

$3.18 ₹307

-35.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.78 ₹1,430

$10.40 ₹1,006

42.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.26 ₹412

$3.14 ₹304

35.67%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₹159

$1.83 ₹177

-10.38%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₹46.58

$0.36 ₹34.38

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₹11.89

$0.15 ₹14.56

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 ₹184

$2.92 ₹282

-34.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₹303

$3.19 ₹309

-1.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₹69.3

$0.73 ₹70.9

-1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₹44.25

$0.47 ₹45.50

-2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₹65.5

$0.66 ₹63.5

3.03%

Eggs

$1.03 ₹99.3

$0.95 ₹91.5

8.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.31 ₹514

$4.34 ₹420

22.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ₹295

$2.73 ₹265

11.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ₹230

$1.70 ₹164

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 ₹76.7

$0.62 ₹59.6

27.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ₹134

$0.80 ₹77.4

73.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ₹59.2

$0.54 ₹52.2

12.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹29.22

$0.35 ₹33.56

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹38.88

$0.43 ₹41.73

-6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ₹33.52

$0.48 ₹46.59

-27.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 ₹24.88

$0.30 ₹28.89

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$5.12 ₹495

-3.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 ₹1,001

$7.60 ₹735

36.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₹168

$1.86 ₹180

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$3.01 ₹291

-10.30%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.34 ₹614

$6.06 ₹586

4.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₹13.90

$0.22 ₹21.19

-36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.19 ₹309

$5.27 ₹510

-39.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₹73.5

$0.59 ₹57.2

28.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₹31.19

$0.22 ₹21.32

45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ₹147

$1.07 ₹103

42.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₹105

$1.13 ₹110

-4.42%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$15.8K ₹1.5M

$12.1K ₹1.2M

30.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.7K ₹2.2M

$18.3K ₹1.8M

23.80%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$52.5 ₹5,076

$36.72 ₹3,554

42.84%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$5.10 ₹494

$3.64 ₹353

40.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.13 ₹690

$7.44 ₹720

-4.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.73 ₹1,523

$18.59 ₹1,799

-15.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 ₹1,018

$5.16 ₹499

103.88%

Cinema Ticket

$3.33 ₹322

$2.88 ₹278

15.63%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$45.81 ₹4,433

$33.35 ₹3,227

37.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,090 ₹202.2K

$891 ₹86.2K

134.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.12 ₹2,528

$22.51 ₹2,179

16.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.89 ₹2,506

$24.53 ₹2,374

5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.62 ₹3,448

$40.90 ₹3,958

-12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.81 ₹2,691

$32.42 ₹3,137

-14.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$151 ₹14.6K

$216 ₹20.9K

-30.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.4 ₹9,229

$499 ₹48.3K

-80.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 ₹38.6K

$375 ₹36.3K

6.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ₹19.8K

$201 ₹19.5K

1.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,119 ₹108.3K

$660 ₹63.8K

69.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$590 ₹57.1K

$309 ₹29.9K

91.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$382 ₹36.9K

$313 ₹30.3K

21.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.04

9.17

-1.42%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 6, 2026

Last update for Surat: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$116 27.4%

Surat

$101 12.4% 12.8% $15

Accommodation & Living

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$95 22.5%

Surat

$499 61.3% 423% $403

Eating Out

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.8%

Surat

$80 9.8% 19% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15.3%

Surat

$48 5.9% 26.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$52 12.3%

Surat

$54 6.7% 4.3% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.3%

Surat

$24 3% 8.7% $1.9

Getting Around

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.1 1.5%

Surat

$7.8 1% 27.7% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $151 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $216 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kolkata (Calcutta) pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $10.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $101 per month, with Surat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 Surat

🕒 Local time

19:25 7:25 PM

Same time as Kolkata (Calcutta)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,486,679

6,936,534

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

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Kolkata (Calcutta) Surat 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kolkata (Calcutta)
Surat

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kolkata (Calcutta) vs Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Surat. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Kolkata (Calcutta), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $151 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $216 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $417 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $806 in Surat – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 65% less than in Surat. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kolkata (Calcutta) gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kolkata (Calcutta) and Surat are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Surat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.